The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20
THE PRESS A MEASURE OF A TOWNS
PROGRESS.
The Newspaper n Factor in the De.
veIopment and Fame OF Commu-
nity...Interesting Sketches Of the
Various Printing Offices The
Present Ample Job and Newspa.
of Tho TnWn

Perhaps the very greatest factor in the
growth and progress Of the town is her print
ing press.
4 little more than ten years ago when the
town was but q small community Of y few
hundred people, her first newspaper was Is
sued. The proposition, at the time, received
no encouragement twas looked on with In
difference at home, and was rather the sport
The Press and Banner took q very large view
of its mission and called IL the G1'.e-dt Amer
lean. The Abberile Medium regarded IL In
rather ntherial light and thought 1t was the
Greenwood Gdsonleter designed as safety
valve for the towns etfarvescipg patriotism
and enterprise. while, in reality, it was the
future rise and progress; After the "NtW
Era" had served its mission, it gave way to
the .Snluda argus which took up the work OF
It's predecessor, and did valuable service for
the town. The A1;g,Ls lived TO see the compile
tion of many Of the enterprises of the town.
When Its work was done and its allotted time
had expired. the Greenwood Light appeared
for o little while, dimly it is true, and upon
fully equipped and equal to the task assigned
1t, and is doing valuable service for the town.
that of the Tribune, and prepared for all kinds
of printing. from an ordinary hand bill to the
n ost ornate card; from the newspaper to the
n am moth posterLarything on the shortest
of under. estimating the value ofa newspaper
as one of the factors IN the progress and de-
velopment OF y community. What can
town do without press where s,e,,, has S there
row dimensions of mere local existence
without the press. Think ofAtlanta, Augusta
or Columbia without a press, The press 1t Is
true, does not make the city but 1t Is factor
without which the city cannot be made
The press is the measure of the towns progress
it records each step which must be done ba.
tore 1t will be known where and when TO take
the next; 1t points out the way, encourages
the diligent rebukes the slothfnl. warns OF
impending dangers with many other services,
all of which are essential conditions OF Its
growth. One OF the most hopeful signs OF the
future progress ofa town, Is the hearty sup
port of It's press, and none need nope TO grow
without 1t. This hurried sketch of the lead
ing incidents in The life and character ofa
busy community would be incomplete with
out brief reference, at least, TO the men Who
have been active participants IN all that
hands is the future destiny OF the town. but
the narrow limits Of small paper compell
US to refer the reader to the local columns of
the Tribune. and to the advertisements. OF
those who have accomplished so much 1t may
safely be inferred that the progress::of the town
will be onward and continuous. They under
people choose to make 1t, and that each one
has his part in the work proposed 10 be done.
They have a goou heritage transmitted
by an honored ancestry. ofwhom it Is incum-
The above Is the conclusion for the present,
ofa series of letters detailing, the origin
growth and future prospects of the town of,
Greenwood. The writer promises TO resume
the narrative after awhile, and will give to
your readers short biographical sketches of
some of the prominent men of this portion
of the country and especially of Greenwood.
There Is a vast amount Of interest wound up
in the lives and character OF these men which
If properly cole ted and presented would af-
ford store OF Information that would be val
liable to the mon of this day.
fit should be thought that the writer of
these sketches has given too high coloring to
his story, it must be remembered that he Is
himself the product OF this same town, and Is
O witness rs we'll as an actor in the current
events of which he writes.